Having Aya home has been incredible and something we are so grateful for. One of the things we wanted to do more than anything was go outside into nature and spend time with our dear friends. Thankfully life has been kind and we got to spend three amazing days with some of our closest friends, driving off into the Japanese countryside in search of Koyo (紅葉 fall colours) and Momiji (紅葉 Japanese maple).
Our first trip took us off into the misty morning with Fra and Mara in their brand new, leopard clad Defender. The cold, windy and damp weather couldn’t deter us and our day was filled with warmth, fun exploring and even some amazing, legit Mexican tacos. One of the highlights was finding a cafe to hide from the rain and discovering it had hammocks to sleep on, and a ping pong table to delight and bring joy to Aya for hours. Learning she could not only still play ping pong, but that she was actually really good was definitely a highlight of the day.
While we had missed the peak of the fall colours around Mt. Fuji, we were lucky to see the evening illumination which put the remaining Momiji in beautiful spotlights, despite wreaking havoc on my ability to take photos :)
We also saw the TeamLab installation at Yamanakako, however the hour + line just to BUY TICKETS, was scary enough to drive us away :)
Our second trip was with Natsuko and Louie, and this time the weather, sky and colours were all cooperating. Heading off towards Tachikawa, we arrived at a beautiful park famous for it’s incredible lanes of Ginkgo trees.
The tree’s and sunshine were incredible and the park was also an amazing mix of beautiful old tree’s and sports amenities like bocci, croquet, golf, golf frisbee, and an amazing kids area with labyrinths, bouncy areas, a sun pyramid and even dragon sculptures.
I really fell in love with this distant area of Tokyo and walking around Tachikawa afterwards and finding the amazing Super Paper Market was the icing on the cake for the day. Thank you soo much Louie and Natsuko for your kindness, smiles and time <3
Our last trip was a drive up to Ibaraki Prefecture to see the last of the fall colors north of Tokyo. This was also my first time renting a car and driving in Japan, which went much better than I imagined :) We picked up Jann and May and went off in search of the beautiful Momiji near the famous waterfalls and gorges of Ibaraki.
The weather and temperature were beautiful. While not a fully sunny day, the overcast skies and damp air made the forest and nature even more tranquil and calm. We followed the beautiful walking path along the river and eventually came upon the picturesque suspension bridge and waterfall. What I really wanted to do was jump into the crystal clear waters and see just how cold it was, but the crowds of tourists and onlookers probably would not have enjoyed me spoiling their instagram posts splashing around in the background :)
All three of these adventures were an incredible reminder of how important it is to appreciate and enjoy little things in life, and how special and wonderful it is to just be with close friends. The love and happiness we were able to enjoy really were like rays of sunlight piercing through the dark clouds of the coming storm. Despite the difficulties and harsh realities life might throw your way, all is not dark and there is so much to be grateful for. <3
